Ajada Gallega

Ajada gallega is Galicia's garlic-and-pimentón refrito, the warm dressing spooned over boiled fish, octopus, greens and cachelos, potatoes cooked in their skins. It isn't a thick sauce or a sofrito. It is clear red oil carrying tender golden garlic and the earthy sweetness of pimentón. That paprika is what sets it apart from a plain garlic oil. Some Galician households sharpen it with wine vinegar, while others leave it out, so I've measured it as optional rather than pretending there is no argument.

The moment that decides the sauce comes after the garlic turns pale gold. Take the pan completely off the heat, let the fierce bubbling subside, and only then stir in the pimentón. Paprika scorches in seconds over direct heat, and burnt pimentón makes the whole pan bitter. Pull the garlic early as well. It continues cooking in the oil while you stand there admiring it.

If you can't find Spanish pimentón dulce, use a good plain sweet paprika, never a seasoning blend or chilli powder. The colour will be a little less deep and the flavour less round, but the ajada will still do its work. My margin beside this one says only, "pimentón, fuera del fuego," paprika, off the heat. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.